The exquisite calligraphy and letters of the Arabic alphabet are explained in this thorough and illuminating guide. Writing styles and the alphabet presents an understanding of a culture and civilisation that throughout the centuries has been linked to the secular and religious worlds of Islam. One of the world's major forms of writing, it is also the language of the Qur'an and in the very first verse, reading and writing with the calamus or reed pen are praised as the source of all knowledge, and all spiritual or scientific paths of change. From this text has developed a reverence for books and a love of writing. In this intriguing book the history and meaning of each letter of the alphabet is given as well as its cultural, religious and philosophical significance. There are some 300 two-colour (green and black) and black and white pictures of the letters, their variants, and calligraphic adaptations, showing that Arabic script is both and art form and a means of communication. For linguists, graphic designers, collectors of Islamic art and also a handy reference for travellers wishing to become familiar with the rudiments of the alphabet. 180pp, large softback, illus.

In this beautifully illustrated work of impressive contemporary scholarship, Caroline Vout uses the celebrated double sculpture in marble known as "The Tyrannicides" to argue that the term "Classical Art" is a controversial category. Ascribed to Kritios and Nesiotes in the 5th century BCE, this is not the bronze statue erected in the Athenian agora, but a Roman copy, and in fact the "original" bronze was itself a copy of an even earlier version. In the Renaissance one of the figures was given a head belonging to a different figure, and finally a cast of what may have been the original head was restored in the 20th century. So is this sculpture classical, and is it even art? The concept of authenticity makes its appearance with the 4th century Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which consciously incorporated a mixture of styles at a date when sculptors had begun signing their work. It opened the door for Roman sculptors to define themselves by their eclecticism, sometimes integrating exotic elements such as the Egyptian style of the sculpture of Hadrian's lover Antinous from the second century CE. At the end of the book a bearded larger than life statue of Hadrian himself, located in the UK during the 18th century and more recently in a glass case in the atrium of an American bank, is revealed as a complete pastiche, only the head of which is ancient. Vout demonstrates that Rome's absorption of Greek art dominated the collections of empire-builders such as Napoleon, and in the later 18th century great British country houses such as Holkham, Kedleston, Newby Hall and Wentworth Woodhouse were either purpose built or adapted to incorporate monumental galleries in the Roman style. Only in the 19th century did the spectacular finds from Greek archaeological sites such as Olympia restore the primacy and charisma of Greek sculpture. 359pp, numerous reproductions in black and white and colour.
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At the beginning of the 19th century there was a seismic change in the art world as the Industrial Revolution enriched the middle classes who could now afford to become patrons and collectors. The author starts in 1803 with the battle between rival bidders Lord Leicester and Lord Yarborough to acquire Turner's huge early work "Opening of the Vintage of Macon". Turner, a barber's son, showed colossal cheek in pitting the two aristocratic patrons against each other, and the author equates the new economic power wielded by artists with the silhouette of the steam-driven flour mills that now reared up on the south side of Blackfriars Bridge. Soon the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel would be invited to the drawing rooms of Kensington, and the Royal Academy's annual exhibition would increase in size to meet the popular demand for art as a badge of wealth. It was now conceivable that patron and artists should become friends, as Lord Egremont did with both Turner and the sculptor Francis Chantrey, who made his name with busts of the engineer James Watt. The new breed of collectors were often dealers as well, like the pen and buckle manufacturer Joseph Gillott who owned Constable's "Hay Wain" for only a few weeks before selling it on for a profit of £273. The Royal Academy was a fashionable showcase but some painters, like Benjamin Haydon who eventually committed suicide, dedicated their lives to criticism of its conservatism. The watercolourist John Varley did not need to join, such was the popularity of his modestly-priced potboilers known in the trade as "Varley's hot rolls". To complement the attitudes of patrons, painters and dealers, the book also considers the art business from the point of view of the publisher, curator and spectator. 384pp, colour reproductions.

Sub-titled 'An Intimate Collection of Behind-The-Scenes Photos Featuring the Legendary Art Collector', the renowned photographer took these images between 1967 and 1974, and many have never been seen before. Born into a wealthy New York family in 1928, Marguerite 'Peggy' Guggenheim was one of the greatest art collectors of the 20th century. Using her inheritance to open her first art gallery, her love of art led her to eventually settling in Venice where she relaunched her life after becoming the star of the 1948 Venice Art Biennale. Striking, enigmatic and dramatic, Moses photographed Peggy in her favourite places around Venice, as well as in her private palazzo at Canal Grande. She glides on her gondola with her Lhasa apso dogs, and wears her iconic butterfly glasses, a fur-trimmed coat and bright red stockings. She had been photographed by Man Ray in 1924, wearing flapper eveningwear, by Gisèle Freund in 1939 with Herbert Read, and by Berenice Abbott in 1926, a dog in her arms, and of course by Moses who shows her from provocative poise to complete relaxation in this collection. She is pictured surrounded by pigeons on St Mark's Square and around the first buildings of the Renaissance, surrounded by artworks in her own home, being shown paintings as she reclines on a sofa, reading a book in front of a bottle of Gordon's Dry Gin, enjoying the company of visitors approving of the paintings by Magritte and Max Ernst to be seen on the walls of her barchessa. There are blue glass Venetian figures, sculptures, she is pictured with paintings by Miró, Chagall, or sitting on her Byzantine style throne looking at a photo album in the grounds of her home. Inside her turquoise bedroom the 'headboard' is by Alexander Calder and the lamps were made by Carlos Scarpa for Venini. In her salon there is a huge painting by Grace Hartigan (Ireland, 1958) and she is pictured with her grandson and his wife in front of a Giacometti sculpture (Walking Woman, 1936). There is also a wonderful series of black and white images and family snapshots and portraits and pet dogs from the archive included on black pages in one special section. 144 exceptional pages, 23 x 29.5cm, colour.

The purpose of this richly illustrated book is to introduce readers to the fascinating world of the Bauhaus - one of the most influential currents of modern architecture and design - and the artistic masters that it included among its acolytes. Officially opened on 1 April 1919, the State Bauhaus Weimar's first and most celebrated director Walter Gropius declared "the ultimate aim of all creative activity is the building" and although it was eventually seized and sealed up by the secret state police in 1933, in its brief existence it challenged what was thought impossible and revolutionised the way people viewed art, architecture and design. Boris Friedewald takes us from the very beginning right up to the influence of the Bauhaus today in an illustrative riot of people, buildings, design classics, design absurdities, drawings, plans and parties which, alongside his formidably well-informed narrative, examines the many facets of the Bauhaus and offers the reader a vivid introduction to the life and work of its visionaries. The photos of the students are particularly enjoyable, with a great many off-guard and staged images that beautifully sum up the just-under-control anarchy of the place and people at a time when Germany was undergoing great social and political upheaval. 128pp softback, 100 colour and b/w illus., 7½" x 9".

The Bauhaus manifesto, written by the movement's founder Walter Gropius in 1919, announced that "the ultimate aim of all visual arts is the complete building". Kandinsky, Klee, Franz Marc and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy taught at the Bauhaus school. The author suggests that this ideal goes back to William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement, and the slogan "beautiful, well-made and useful" echoes Morris, but Gropius insisted on keeping his institution apolitical, even though all his negotiating skills were necessary to ensure the continuation of the Bauhaus until it was dissolved by the Nazis in 1933. The unification of architecture with sculpture, painting and handicrafts brought with it a new aesthetic, while training in practical skills such as book-keeping emphasized the importance of a sound business footing. Apart from its influence on applied arts, the Bauhaus legacy also included educational innovation, for instance the foundation year as a preliminary to art school. This solid and gorgeously illustrated book is a lavish tribute to the work of the Bauhaus masters. Among the impressive illustrations, the posters and advertising material for the group, for instance Schmidt's exhibition poster of 1923, are superb examples of the geometric purity that reached its zenith in the work of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy's work on fonts and letterheads using only a limited palette. Oskar Schlemmer's "Costumes for the Triadic Ballet" is an enigmatic study using his signature monumental columnar figures. Kandinsky said "The artist must train not only his eye but also his soul", and the warmth and depth of his canvases, for instance the glowing geometric diversity of "In Blue" or the fizzing dynamism of "Round and Pointed", ushered in a more spiritual phase for the school. Paul Klee, who taught colour theory, combined Kandinsky's vibrant palette with a calm approach to abstract composition, for instance the subtle greens of "The Harbinger of Autumn". His enigmatic head "Senecio", abstract but with curiously expressive eyes, is one of the great iconic works from the Bauhaus period. 192pp, high quality production values, lavishly illustrated in colour.

French artist Eugéne-Louis Charvot (1847-1924) was a distinguished painter and printmaker. A fascinating individual, he practiced medicine for many years but stated that his first love was art. Inspired by the serene countryside of his youth, he became a landscapist and made his debut in 1876 at the annual Salon in Paris. He spent his medical career in the French military and was posted in colonial Tunisia between 1885 and 89 and Algeria 1892 to 96 where he documented the life around him and sent oils back to Paris for entry in the Salons. Unlike other French artists attracted to Orientalism, Charvot was not a tourist in North Africa but rather a working member of the French colonial forces and his perspective and reactions are detailed in his letters to his family. His street scenes of North African life allow a unique glimpse into the time and place whether it is the Little Miller, the Jewish Quarter of Djara, Arab noblemen or people inside the cool patio courtyards of their homes. Notre Dame Cathedral, a peasant girl burning grass at twilight, in the field or sitting under trees, storms, a cow in the meadow, and portraits both in pencil and oils, his etchings were award-winning and this volume resurrects the reputation of this accomplished artist. It highlights his breadth of processes, productivity and inspiration in painting, etching and drawing. 68 page square softback, quality paper and dozens of illus., much in colour.

'From slavers to rock icons, from comedians to the Great War's fallen, Lytollis goes into the why they are there in bronze and granite, but also talks to the people who pass them every day. Fascinating and funny.' - Mike Craven. Part history, part travelogue, this is the first book to examine public statues around the nation. Lytollis travels Britain and encounters a man at Liverpool's Beatles statue convinced that Rod Stewart was in the Fab Four. In Edinburgh he walks into a row over Greyfriars Bobby's nose, and in Glasgow learns why the Duke of Wellington wears a traffic cone on his head. London brings a controversial nude statue and some hard truths about racism. He sees people dancing with Eric Morecambe, finds a statue being the backdrop to a marriage proposal, looks at the emergence of statues into our culture laws, the trends for portraying musicians, pop stars and comedians rather than monarchs, politicians and generals, and tells amazing tales of many of those commemorated on our streets. It also features interviews with sculptors including Sir Antony Gormley who discusses the Angel of the North and more traditional statues. As soon as Captain Tom Moore, Dame Vera Lynn and Prince Philip died, there were demands for statues. They will continue to stand over and among us, inspiring, amusing, enraging or just blending into the background and they all have stories to tell. 296pp, eight pages of colour and b/w photos.

Big bold poster art to learn your ABCs or enjoy modern graphic design, A is for AWESOME, B BOUNCE, C CATCH, D DOG, E EMBRACE, F for FIERCE with a roaring lions head with bright red mane all the way through to Z in a marvellous concertina frieze with each letter measuring approximately 8" x 6". The frieze is double sided and on the reverse the same design in black and white outline ready for you to colour in and enjoy like HANG with a monkey hanging from a big letter H. Quirky and stylish by the award-winning illustrator, designed for ages three to adult children's book collectors and meditative hobbyists. Softback.

From Berlin to Moscow, Seoul to Hiroshima, the Philippines to Israel, Lithuania to Washington, the Bomber Command Memorial in London, the Shrine to the Fallen, Bologna, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Ball in China, Auschwitz in Poland, Mussolini's tomb, Hitler's bunker, a statue of Stalin, Coventry Cathedral and the Cross of Nail, the book is a bold new account of the way the world reacted in the wake of the Second World War. Monuments were built to tell a story, but what story? The cataclysm of global conflict was experienced very differently across the world, and the monuments reflect this. Bestselling historian Keith Lowe takes us on a global tour. He asks why is Russia still erecting victory monuments at a dizzying rate for a war some 70 years over. Why, despite loathing his legacy, does the town of Mussolini's final resting place still honour his tomb like a shrine? Why does a bronze statue in South Korea of a young girl with a bird on her shoulder cause such outrage in neighbouring Japan? How did a local controversy over a monument in New Jersey escalate into a full-blown international incident between Poland and the USA? Offering a practical history and a perspective-changing case for the power of our symbols, each monument here represents heroes or monsters, victims or moments of apocalypse and none of them are really about the past at all. With useful maps and descriptions not only of figurative statues and abstract sculptures but also shrines, tombs, ruins, murals, parks and architectural features with a concentration on World War Two monuments simply because of their quality. 346pp, illus.